Engine lubricating system



Dec. 5, 1961 J. D. TURLAY 3,011,591

ENGINE LUBRICATING SYSTEM Original Filed Nov. 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Dec. 5, 1961 J. D. TURLAY ENGINE LUBRICATING SYSTEM Original Filed Nov. 12, 1952 2 Sheets eet 2 INVENTOR j g {3} @fgg United States Patent Qflflce 3,011,591 Patented .Dec. 5, 1961 3,011,591 ENGINE LUBRICATING SYSTEM Joseph D. Turlay, Flint, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Original application Nov. 12, 1952, Ser. No. 319,952, new Patent No. 2,856,909, dated Oct. 21, 1958. Divided and this application Apr. 4, 1956, Ser. No. 576,089 Claims. (Cl. 184-6) This application is a division of application S.N. 319,- 952 filed in the name of Joseph D. Turlay on November 12, 1952, now Patent No. 2,856,909.

The invention relates to lubricating systems for internal combustion engines and has particular relation to the novel construction and arrangement of the lubrication fluid passages embodied therein.

It is proposed to construct an engine in such a way that the lubrication system thereof will be easier to embody in the engine, thereby resulting in an engine that is less expensive to manufacture. It is also proposed to employ improved arrangement of passages and improved control for the lubricating fluid flowing therein so that the system will be more reliable and will operate more efficiently for lubricating the working parts of the engine.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the axis of rotation of the engine and upon the intermediate plane of the engine and showing the various parts of the engine in section and in elevation.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view of the engine illustrated by FIGURE 1. FIGURE 2 is taken generally in the transverse planes of the two opposed cylinders at the front of the engine.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the passages and grooves formed in the front wall of the engine block and associated with the front camshaft bearing. FIGURE 3 is taken substantially in the plane of line 3-3 on FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows thereon.

The engine comprises generally an engine block 11, a crankshaft 12, a camshaft 13, heads 14 and 16, an inlet manifold 17 and a carburetor 18. The block 11 is formed to provide rows or banks 19 and 21 of cylinders 22 in which pistons 23 are reciprocated by connecting rods 24 secured between piston pins 26 and crank arms 27 formed on the crankshaft 12. The pistons 23 are of greater diameter than the distances traveled by the axes of the crank arms 27 along the axes of the cylinders 22.

The rows 19 and 21 of the cylinders 22 have axes disposed in planes that intersect one another substantially at the axis of rotation of the crankshaft 12. The engine may be constructed so that these rows of cylinders intersect one another at any desired angle although in the present instance they intersect at an angle of 90 and at 45 with respect to an intermediate vertical plane extending through the axis of the camshaft 13 and the crankshaft 12. The block 11 is constructed so that each of the banks or rows 19 and 21 of cylinders 22 are partly enclosed by longitudinally disposed inner walls 27 and outer walls 28 and by common transversely disposed front and rear end walls 29 and 31 respectively. The front and rear walls 29 and 31 also extend entirely across the front and rear ends of the block 11.

The walls 27, 28, 29 and 31 are closed around the cylinders 22 and may be formed integrally therewith if this is desired, at the upper ends of the cylinders 22 and in spaced relation to the lower ends of the cylinders 22. The spaces between the cylinders 22 and the walls 27, 28, 29 and 31 form cooling fluid jackets 32 in which water or other cooling fluid may be circulated for cooling the engine. The block 11 also is formedbelow the rows of combustion chambers and the inlet and exhaust passages the walls 29 and 31 at the front and rear ends of the engine, respectively, to provide the upper part of a crankcase indicated generally at 34. The lower part of the crankcase 34 may be closed in any suitable manner as by the employment of a sheet metal oil pan indicated at 36 and secured to the lower flanged edges of the walls of the block 11 by screws 37. The space between the banks of cylinders 19 and 21 and within the end walls 29 and 31 is formed to provide a crankcase gallery indicated at 38 and in the lower part of which the camshaft 13 is located. The block 11 also is formed to provide a plurality of spaced and transversely disposed webs or supports 39, 41 and 42, which extend across the upper part of the crankcase and the lower part of the camshaft gallery 38 for the purpose of providing intermediate bearings 43 for the camshaft 13 and intermediate bearings 44 for the crankshaft 12. The front and rear bearings 46 and 47 of the camshaft 13 and the front and rear bearings 48 and 49 of the crankshaft 12 are formed in the front and rear walls 29 and 31, respectively, of the block 1 1. The webs 39, 41 and 42 are cut out at 51 between the lower extremities of the cylinders 22 and below the water jacket space indicated at 32 to make the block 11 easier to cast, to prevent distortion at the lower ends of the cylinders 22 and to provide windows between the different sections of the crankcase 34 which are formed by the webs or supports 39, 41 and 42. The walls 27, 28 and 33 which form the longitudinally disposed side walls of the block 11 are thick enough and strong enough so that the usual longitudinally disposed supports are not required between the camshaft bearings 46 and 47 and at the lower and adjacent extremities of the cylinder banks 19 and 21. However, the walls 27 are reinforced adjacent the lower extremities thereof by longitudinally extending struts or columns 52 which project inwardly and are formed integrally with the walls 27 and 28 which extend between the front and rear walls 29 and 31 and the transversely disposed webs or supports 39, 41 and 42. However, there is considerable space between the struts or ridges 52 so as to provide space therebetween for the upward flow of air and crankcase vapors from the crankcase 34 to the camshaft gallery 38.

While it is necessary in order to construct a V-type engine to have the planes of the axes of the cylinders 22 extend obliquely outwardly from the intermediate plane of the engine, it is not necessary to construct the engine heads and other parts of the engine above the cylinders in this manner. The heads and other parts of the engine, therefore, are constructed in such a way as to extend upwardly from the ends of the cylinders 22 in planes that are generally parallel to the intermediate plane of the engine or that extend normally thereto. The heads 14 and 16 are, therefore, constructed in such manner as to have outer and generally planular and parallel side walls 66 and upper and generally planular upper walls 67. The walls 67 of each of the heads when installed on the engine 10 lie substantially in the same plane and in a plane normally intersecting the intermediate plane of the engine. The inner or lower wall 68 of each of the heads 16 is disposed normally to the axes of the cylinders 22 and generally intersects the planes of the side walls 66 inv the upper walls 67 at acute angles. The heads 14 and 16 are adapted to be secured by the wall 68 to the upper ends of the banks of cylinders 19 and 21 by bolts indicated at 69. The interiors of the heads 14 and 16 are formed to provide cooling fluid passages indicated at 72 which are adapted to communicate with the cooling fluid passages 32 surrounding the cylinders 22. Water or other cooling fluid is adapted to be circulated through the passages 72 for the purpose of cooling the valves, spark plugs,

3 which are located within or partly within the heads 16. Although the combustion chambers of the engine may be formed inrany suitable manner, in the present instance the-combustion chambers 73 are formed between the heads .14 and 16 and thepistons 23 by depressions formed 7 in the inner walls 68. These depressions are of right triangular formation transversely of the engine and with the walls thereof being generally parallel to the outer walls 66 and 67 of the heads 14 and 16. The depressions forming the combustion chambers 73 are generally elongated longitudinally of the engine to provide room for the inlet and exhaust valves of the engine. The head ends of the pistons 23 project outwardly as is indicated at 74 for partly filling the depressions forming the combustion chambers 73 so that a high compression engine may be provided. The compression ratio may be altered in the engine as desired merely by varying the extent to which the projections 74 formed on the end walls of the pistons may project into the depressions within the wall 68. The spark plugs 76 are positioned in the heads 14 and 16 substantially in the plane of the axes of the cylinders 22and with the spark gap terminals thereof extending into the combustion chambers 73 at substantially the middle of each combustion chamber both longitudinally and transversely of the engine. In order to provide room for locating the spark plugs, the outer walls 66 of the heads 14 and 16 are provided with elongated depressions adjacent the upper extremities of the heads where the outer ends of the spark plugs may be located and the terminals of the ignition conductors connected. The depressions referred to are adapted to be closed by covers indicated at 77 and which are secured to the side walls 66 by screws indicated at 78.

The interior of the heads 14 and 16 are also formed in such manner as to provide inwardly disposed and upwardlyextending inlet passages indicated at 79. The outer ends of the inlet passages 79 terminate in the plane of the outer surfaces of the Wa1ls67 and are adapted to be connected to the outlet ends of branch passages 81 formed in the inlet manifold 17 employed with the banks of cylinders indicated at 19 and 21. The outlet ends of the branches 81 of the inlet manifold 17 are also formed in a single plane, this being the plane of the outer surfaces of the walls 67 when the manifold 17 is in operative position. The manifold 17 may be removed from or secured to the inlet passages within the heads 14 and 16 by operation of screws indicated at 82. The heads 14 and 16 are also formed internally thereof so as to provide exhaust passages indicated at 83. The outer ends of the exhaust passages 83 terminate substantially in the planes of the outer walls 66 of the heads 14 and 16. There is preferably one inlet passage 79 and one exhaust passage 83 for each cylinder 22 of the engine 10. The interior of the heads 14 and 16 are also formed in a way to provide cross over exhaust passages 84 which leads from the inner ends of the two intermediate exhaust passages in each bank of four cylinders. The intermediate or exhaust passages 84 also have outlet ends which terminate in alignment with the outlet ends of the inlet passages 79 and in the plane of the outer end of the inlet passages 79. The cross over passages 84 are adapted to supply exhaust gas for heating the terminals between the inder. 1 The supports are arranged in the heads 14 and 16 to support valve stem guides or sleeves 87 which are adapted to be pressed or otherwise secured in the guide supports indicated at 86. Inlet and exhaust valves 88 and 89 respectively are slidably mounted in the valve stem guides 87 of each cylinder and in such manner that the valve stems 91 of the valves will be aligned from front to rear of the engine with the axes thereof in planes parallel to the intermediate plane of the engine. The valves 88 and 89 close ports at the inner extremities of the passages 79 and 83 which are located in an upper wall on one side of each of the combustion chambers 73. The side wall of the combustion chambers 73 in which the valves 88 and 89 are located is in the same plane on each side of the engine and intersects the intermediate plane of the engine substantially at 90. The valves 88 and 89 are adapted to be closed by springs 92 which are positioned on the outer end of the valve stems 91 in depressions formed in the outer surfaces of the walls 67. The springs are held in position upon the valve stems 91 by valve stem washers 92 which are secured to the outer ends of the valve stems 91. The outer ends of the valve stems 91 are adapted to be engaged for operating the valves by rocker arms indicated at 93 and which are mounted for rotation upon rocker shafts indicated at 94. The rocker shafts 94 are positioned outwardly with respect to the valve'stems 91 and are secured on rocker arms supports 96 which are mounted upon the outer surface of the walls 67 of the heads 14 and 16. The supports 96 are secured in position upon the walls 67 by screws'indicated at 97. The opposite ends of the rocker arms 93 are oifset upon the rocker shafts 94 in such manner that the actuated ends of the arms may be engaged at one side of the valve stems 91 by push rods indicated at 98. The push rods 98 extend through openings 99 which are formed obliquely within the heads 14 and 16 and in such manner as to intersect the planes of the stems 91 of the inlet and exhaust valves between the valves and the outer ends of the valve stems. The inner extremities of the push rod '98 engage valve lifters 101 which are mounted in transversely and obliquely disposed openings formed in' bosses 102 which project inwardly and upwardly from the re-enforcing struts indicated at 52. The inner ends of the valve lifters 101 are engaged by cams on the camshaft 13 which operate the inlet and exhaust valves in properly timed relation. The valve actuating mechanisms for the heads 14 and 16 are enclosed within covers 107 each of which is secured to the upper wall 67 of one of the heads by bolts indicated at 118.

The lubricating system for the engine employs a pump 103 which is located in the enlarged rear end of the oil pan 36. The pump 103 is removably secured to a lower portion of the rear end of the block 11 by screws indicated at 104. The pump 103 delivers oil for lubrieating the engine through a passage 106 which communicates with a drilled passage formed at one side of the rear main bearing 49. This passage in turn communicates with a horizontally disposed passage formed in the end wall of the block and the opposite end of which is connected to an oil filter. From the oil filter the oil returns through another horizontally disposed passage also formed in the end of the block 11. The other end of this passage communicates with a single transversely disposed cavity 107 formed within the rear wall of the block 11. The passages in the rear wall between the passage 106 and the cavity are indicated at 110. The cavity 107 is adapted tobe closed at the outer end thereof by a threaded plug indicated at 108. Beyond the cavity 107 the front and rear walls of the block 11 and the supports or webs 39, 41 and 42 are formed to provide aligned openings in which a conduit 109 is press fitted or otherwise secured. The interior of the conduit 109 forms a single high pressure gallery which receives oil from the pump 103 through the aforesaid passages in the rear wall and supplies the oil to the crankshaft bearings and the crankshaft bearings through laterally disposed passages 112 and 111, respectively, formed in the conduit 109, and in the webs 39, 41 and 42 and in the front andrear walls 29 and 31 of the block 11. The crankshaft may be internally drilled as is indicated at 113 for the purpose of supplying oil to the connecting rod .beariugs from each of the passages 112. Oil for lubricating the pistons, rings and piston pins is thrown out of the connecting rod bearings upon the lower parts of the pistons and the lower ends of the cylinder walls. The front camshaft hearing has an annular metering groove 120 formed therein which is supplied with lubricating oil by one of the passages 111 in the front end wall 29 which communicates with a cavity 115 in the wall 29 with which the conduit 109 communicates. The groove 120 communicates with laterally extending passages 13!) formed in the front wall 29 of the block 11. The opposite ends of the passages 130 communicate with the front ends of a pair of longitudinally disposed passages indicated at 114. The passages 114 are formed in the re-enforcing struts 52 on the outside of the openings which receive the valve lifters 101 and in such way as to intersect the openings in which the valve lifters 101 are located. The annular groove 120 formed in the front bearing of the camshaft meters the oil supplied to the passages 114 by the main gallery and within the conduit 109 to supply oil of any desired reduced pressure to the passages 114. The valve tappets will receive oil for lubricating the tappets and for supplying oil to the tappets in the event hydraulically actuated tappets are employed. There are also passages 140 formed in the front wall 29 of each bank of cylinders which communicate at one end with the passages 114 and with enlarged bolt holes that extend through the heads 14 and 16. Oil is then supplied from these bolt hole passages through other passages formed in the heads and which terminate beneath the front supports for each rocker shaft. The supports are in turn drilled to provide passages communicating with passages 116 within the rocker shafts 94. The rocker arms are supplied with oil through passages communicating with the passages 116 in the interior of rocker shafts 94. The valve springs and stems are lubricated by oil spray within the rocker arm covers.

I claim:

1. An engine lubricating system comprising a main oil supply passage extending substantially throughout the length of the engine for supplying oil for lubricating the crankshaft and camshaft bearings of the engine, an auxiliary oil supply passage also extending substantially throughout the length of the engine for supplying oil for lubricating the push rods employed in the engine, means associated with the camshaft of the engine for metering the oil from said main oil supply passage to said auxiliary passage, said auxiliary passage being formed in the block of said engine to intersect the bearings supporting said push rods on one side of all of said bearings and to extend outside of said hearings on said side of said bearings for supplying oil to' each of said bearings and for providing a continuous passage around said bearings and from one of said bearings to another.

2. An engine lubricating system as defined by claim 1 and in which said auxiliary passage is formed in said block between said bearings for said push rods and the cylinders of said engine.

3. An engine lubricating system as defined by claim 1 and in which said engine is a V-type engine having a row of said hearings on each side of the camshaft of said engine with one auxiliary oil supply passage for each row of said bearings and with said main oil supply passage being located in said block directly between the rows of cylinders of said engine and direct-1y between the camshaft and the crankshaft of said engine.

4. An engine lubricating system comprising an engine block having a plurality of transverse walls formed therein, a main lubricating oil supply passage formed in said block and extending through certain of said walls from one end of said block to another, a camshaft and a crankshaft extending throughout the length of said block and mounted in bearings formed in said walls, branch passage means formed in said walls between said main oil supply passage and said bearings, auxiliary lubricating oil supply passage means formed in said block and extending substantially throughout the length of said block for supplying oil for lubricating the valve mechanism for said engine, and oil metering means associated with one of said camshaft bearings for supplying metered quantities of oil from said main oil supply passage to said auxiliary oil supply passage means.

5. An engine lubricating system as defined by claim 4 and in which said oil metering means includes an annular groove associated with said one of said camshaft bearings and branch passage means extending from said groove to said main oil supply passage and said auxiliary oil supply passage means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,707,750 Anibal Apr. 2, 1929 1,899,949 Fahrney Mar. 7, 1933 1,900,968 Woolson Mar. 14, 1933 2,155,855 Berry Apr. 25, 1939 2,669,981 Leach Feb. 23, 1954 2,725,955 Roos Dec. 6, 1955 OTHER REFERENCES Product Engineering, January 1949, pp. 88-92. 

